Saudi-Iranian rift?  —  Did anybody really need a leaked memo from the National Security Agency to figure out that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is incapable of stopping the carnage in Iraq?  Given that his political power depends on factions allied with Shi'ite militias behind much of the carnage …

Muslims Seek Prayer Room at Airport  —  Airport officials said Friday they will consider setting aside a private area for prayer and meditation at the request of imams concerned about the removal of six Muslim clerics from a US Airways flight last week.  —  Steve Wareham, director …

Kerry to postpone decision on '08 run  —  Associates say 'joke' fallout stunned him  —  WASHINGTON — Senator John F. Kerry's election-eve "botched joke" about the war in Iraq — and the fierce denunciations his comments drew from fellow Democrats — has led him to reevaluate whether to mount …

Next Chairman for Intelligence Opposed War  —  Representative Nancy Pelosi, the incoming House speaker, sent a strong new signal on Friday that Democrats intend to confront the White House by naming a Texas congressman who opposed the war in Iraq as the next chairman of the House intelligence committee.

He's The Worst Ever  —  Ever since 1948, when Harvard professor Arthur Schlesinger Sr. asked 55 historians to rank U.S. presidents on a scale from "great" to "failure," such polls have been a favorite pastime for those of us who study the American past.  —  Changes in presidential rankings reflect shifts in how we view history.

WITLESS 'WISDOM'  —  BAKER'S WORTHLESS IRAQ ADVICE  —  YES, it's been quite a week for the 10 members of the Iraq Study Group, the committee formed last spring to offer recommendations on a path forward in Iraq.  —  They had a wonderfully invigorating leak session the other day with The New York Times …

Congressman faulted for Quran at oath  —  WASHINGTON (AP) — Keith Ellison, who will become the first Muslim member of Congress next month, has offended some conservatives with his plan to use the Quran during his ceremonial swearing-in.  The decision by Ellison, D-Minn. …

GSA Chief Seeks to Cut Budget For Audits  —  The new chief of the U.S. General Services Administration is trying to limit the ability of the agency's inspector general to audit contracts for fraud or waste and has said oversight efforts are intimidating the workforce, according to government documents and interviews.

U.S. Gov't Terror Ratings Draw Outrage  —  Lawmakers and Businessmen Object to Terrorist Screening of American, International Travelers  —  A leader of the new Democratic Congress, business travelers and privacy advocates expressed outrage Friday over the unannounced assignment …

Supporting Boys or Girls When the Line Isn't Clear  —  Until recently, many children who did not conform to gender norms in their clothing or behavior and identified intensely with the opposite sex were steered to psychoanalysis or behavior modification.  —  But as advocates gain ground …

No Pandering Here  —  Virginia Senator-elect Jim Webb is the rare Washington figure who doesn't suck up to power.  —  Every so often a politician comes along who doesn't pander to the president.  Fresh off a nasty campaign that centered on the war in Iraq, Virginia Senator-elect Jim Webb …

Afghanistan Opium Crop Sets Record  —  U.S.-Backed Efforts At Eradication Fail  —  Opium production in Afghanistan, which provides more than 90 percent of the world's heroin, broke all records in 2006, reaching a historic high despite ongoing U.S.-sponsored eradication efforts, the Bush administration reported yesterday.

Bush to Meet With Head of Iraq Shiite Party  —  The White House said Friday that President Bush would meet next week with Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, the head of one of the most powerful Shiite parties in Iraq, the latest step in a burst of new administration attempts to try different approaches to bolstering the fragile Iraqi government.

Romney's lawn firm draws new scrutiny  —  Massport, Chelsea eye workers' legal status  —  Two public agencies said yesterday they are reconsidering their relationship with a landscaping company following a Globe story yesterday reporting that illegal immigrants were employed by the company …